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Euro 2012 Thread
- Thread starter Madferret
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HUP HUP!
Guru Tugginmypuddah
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Madferret said:
on a bike
Guru Tugginmypuddah
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Madferret said:
Denmark was surprising.
Guru Tugginmypuddah
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Madferret said:
The real test is yet to come!
Madferret
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ENGLAND VS. FRANCE HIGHLIGHTS GROUP D MATCHES AT EURO 2012
TSN STAFF
Group D kicks off at Euro 2012 with one of the tournament's most highly-anticipated matches.
TSN's coverage of Euro 2012 begins at 11:30am et/8:30am pt with England vs. France followed by Sweden vs. Ukraine at 2:15pm et/11:15am pt. Watch both matches live on TSN, TSN.ca pay-per-view and TSN Mobile TV or listen to the matches live on Bell Media Radio.
England will be in tough in its first match of the group stage, facing off against a soccer powerhouse (and, not to mention an age-old rival) such as France.
The nation has not fared well in recent internationals, having last made the semifinals in 1996.
Wayne Rooney will be missing, but the team was well-prepared for that. In full knowledge that he would have to serve a two-game ban for a dangerous tackle in the side's final qualifying match against Montenegro, the team was braced for a pair of games without the Manchester United striker.
What it was not prepared for, however, was the crush of injuries that were still to come. Frank Lampard went down in the last two weeks, but he was followed in close proximity by Gareth Barry, Gary Cahill. Filling in the gaps in the centre of the pitch (as well as in the team's leadership) was an unplanned hurdle thrust upon the team within the last month.
The team must also find a way to create offence without Rooney and the injured Darren Bent. If England is to reach the knockout phase one of Theo Walcott, Ashley Young, Danny Welbeck or Jermain Defoe will have to carry the load.
France, meanwhile will look to distance itself from the debacle that was the 2010 World Cup.
Mired in player mutiny, on-field failure and political intervention, the tournament marked a low-point for a team that had been one of the world's most dominant over the preceding decade.
Gone from that side are the likes of Nicolas Anelka and Thierry Henry, leaving the leadership to veterans like Patrice Evra, Florent Malouda and Franck Ribery.
Manager Laurent Blanc will also have the likes of Samir Nasri and Karim Benzema at his disposal. The pair could provide the offensive boost that could help them outpace a side like England who may be found wanting for offence.
France won its qualifying group at almost the last possible minute. Facing eventual second-place finishers Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final qualifying match on October 11, France found itself down 1-0 late in the game.
However, a foul in the box sent Nasri to the penalty spot in the 78th minute. He converted, giving France the point it needed for automatic qualification.
Meanwhile, one co-host nation will get its first chance to shine on home soil in the early match.
Ukraine mounts its Euro campaign in front of a packed house at Kiev's Olympic Stadium.
The Co-hosts got an easy pass to the tournament as automatic qualifiers , which was crucial to a team that likely would have struggled to qualify for this tournament were it not being played on home soil.
The team has long leant on Andriy Shevchenko ? who was a brilliant in his prime. Those days are likely a thing of his past, as the 35-year old national icon has stayed on hoping for one last crack at glory in front of his home fans.
Emotion will be riding high and getting past Sweden will be essential if Ukraine hopes to shock its way into the knockout phase past England and France.
The team has succeeded before on the international stage, reaching the quarter-finals of the 2006 World Cup before having its run ended by the eventual-champions from Italy.
Sweden, however is a team that none in Group D can afford to fall asleep on.
They were lone team to qualify automatically for the tournament despite not winning their group, but Sweden finished with an 8-0-2 record in those matches, being outshone by only Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain throughout all of Europe.
Like Ukraine, their offence revolves heavily around one cog, albeit a cog that's still a potent weapon and with a more talented supporting cast.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the weapon of choice for Sweden and he was All-World in qualifying, netting five goals. But his teammates were well up to the task, as the likes of Christian Wilhelmsson, Sebastian Larsson and Kim Kallstrom all contributed three goals apiece.
The team has been reeling in recent years, failing to qualify for South Africa in 2010 and getting bounced at the group stage at Euro 2008. Landing in a group with world-class sides such as England and France has done them no favours but the team finished 2011 ranked ninth on the continent and ahead of France.
The team can easily compete in the group, but it must first weather an attack from a Ukrainian side that will undoubtedly be riding an emotional high on such a grand stage.
TSN STAFF
Group D kicks off at Euro 2012 with one of the tournament's most highly-anticipated matches.
TSN's coverage of Euro 2012 begins at 11:30am et/8:30am pt with England vs. France followed by Sweden vs. Ukraine at 2:15pm et/11:15am pt. Watch both matches live on TSN, TSN.ca pay-per-view and TSN Mobile TV or listen to the matches live on Bell Media Radio.
England will be in tough in its first match of the group stage, facing off against a soccer powerhouse (and, not to mention an age-old rival) such as France.
The nation has not fared well in recent internationals, having last made the semifinals in 1996.
Wayne Rooney will be missing, but the team was well-prepared for that. In full knowledge that he would have to serve a two-game ban for a dangerous tackle in the side's final qualifying match against Montenegro, the team was braced for a pair of games without the Manchester United striker.
What it was not prepared for, however, was the crush of injuries that were still to come. Frank Lampard went down in the last two weeks, but he was followed in close proximity by Gareth Barry, Gary Cahill. Filling in the gaps in the centre of the pitch (as well as in the team's leadership) was an unplanned hurdle thrust upon the team within the last month.
The team must also find a way to create offence without Rooney and the injured Darren Bent. If England is to reach the knockout phase one of Theo Walcott, Ashley Young, Danny Welbeck or Jermain Defoe will have to carry the load.
France, meanwhile will look to distance itself from the debacle that was the 2010 World Cup.
Mired in player mutiny, on-field failure and political intervention, the tournament marked a low-point for a team that had been one of the world's most dominant over the preceding decade.
Gone from that side are the likes of Nicolas Anelka and Thierry Henry, leaving the leadership to veterans like Patrice Evra, Florent Malouda and Franck Ribery.
Manager Laurent Blanc will also have the likes of Samir Nasri and Karim Benzema at his disposal. The pair could provide the offensive boost that could help them outpace a side like England who may be found wanting for offence.
France won its qualifying group at almost the last possible minute. Facing eventual second-place finishers Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final qualifying match on October 11, France found itself down 1-0 late in the game.
However, a foul in the box sent Nasri to the penalty spot in the 78th minute. He converted, giving France the point it needed for automatic qualification.
Meanwhile, one co-host nation will get its first chance to shine on home soil in the early match.
Ukraine mounts its Euro campaign in front of a packed house at Kiev's Olympic Stadium.
The Co-hosts got an easy pass to the tournament as automatic qualifiers , which was crucial to a team that likely would have struggled to qualify for this tournament were it not being played on home soil.
The team has long leant on Andriy Shevchenko ? who was a brilliant in his prime. Those days are likely a thing of his past, as the 35-year old national icon has stayed on hoping for one last crack at glory in front of his home fans.
Emotion will be riding high and getting past Sweden will be essential if Ukraine hopes to shock its way into the knockout phase past England and France.
The team has succeeded before on the international stage, reaching the quarter-finals of the 2006 World Cup before having its run ended by the eventual-champions from Italy.
Sweden, however is a team that none in Group D can afford to fall asleep on.
They were lone team to qualify automatically for the tournament despite not winning their group, but Sweden finished with an 8-0-2 record in those matches, being outshone by only Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain throughout all of Europe.
Like Ukraine, their offence revolves heavily around one cog, albeit a cog that's still a potent weapon and with a more talented supporting cast.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the weapon of choice for Sweden and he was All-World in qualifying, netting five goals. But his teammates were well up to the task, as the likes of Christian Wilhelmsson, Sebastian Larsson and Kim Kallstrom all contributed three goals apiece.
The team has been reeling in recent years, failing to qualify for South Africa in 2010 and getting bounced at the group stage at Euro 2008. Landing in a group with world-class sides such as England and France has done them no favours but the team finished 2011 ranked ninth on the continent and ahead of France.
The team can easily compete in the group, but it must first weather an attack from a Ukrainian side that will undoubtedly be riding an emotional high on such a grand stage.